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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. march — the month
  3. game — a match
  4. march — music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. snap — to click
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. board — to get on
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. sharp — clever
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. march — the month
  19. board — a committee
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. game — wild animals
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wake — before a funeral

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