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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rush — hurry
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. board — to get on
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lean — thin
  20. board — a committee
  21. bass — low music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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