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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wake — a trail
  5. race — the arms race
  6. staff — employees
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. board — a committee
  9. date — the fruit
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. snap — to click
  19. staff — employees
  20. race — humankind
  21. staff — a stick
  22. race — a contest
  23. game — wild animals
  24. date — on the calendar

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