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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. suit — to fit
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. snap — to click
  5. race — a contest
  6. hand — help
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. suit — in cards
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. race — humankind
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. race — the arms race
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. hand — in cards
  18. roll — a cake
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stand — to bear
  21. board — a committee
  22. roll — a list
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. foot — part of the body

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