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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. can — a tin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. club — a group
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. snap — to click
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. club — for golf
  16. wind — moving air
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. can — a tin
  21. band — a ring
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — to be able to
  24. board — to get on

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