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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. shower — to wash
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. net — after costs
  5. rash — a series
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. shower — rain
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. net — for catching
  11. bound — certain
  12. object — to protest
  13. board — to get on
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bound — obliged
  16. board — a committee
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rash — hasty
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bound — tied together
  23. net — in sport
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com