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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. snap — to click
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. can — a tin
  5. row — to paddle
  6. board — a committee
  7. rest — a break
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pit — a hole
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. board — to get on
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — a tin
  24. row — a line

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