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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. kick — in football
  12. current — of water
  13. board — a committee
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lean — thin
  17. rock — music
  18. current — happening now
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. current — electric
  21. lean — to bend
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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