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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. board — a committee
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. fall — to drop
  17. board — to get on
  18. game — a match
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mine — for digging
  21. charge — electricity
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mouse — the animal

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