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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wake — a trail
  8. snap — to click
  9. board — to get on
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. last — final
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. last — to go on
  18. bore — to tire
  19. last — finally
  20. bore — to drill
  21. craft — a skill
  22. sharp — clever
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. craft — boats

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