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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ground — a position
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. pop — soda
  13. cap — of ice
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. last — final
  18. craft — boats
  19. cap — a hat
  20. board — to get on
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. last — finally
  23. board — a committee
  24. pop — music

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