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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 124 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cap — of ice
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. snap — to click
  6. board — a committee
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — to get on
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stock — goods
  20. cap — a lid
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wake — a trail

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