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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stand — to bear
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chest — of your body
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. chest — a box
  11. current — electric
  12. snap — to click
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. current — of water
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. current — happening now
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stand — for spectators

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