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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. board — a committee
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pop — soda
  16. board — to get on
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pop — music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. nail — for a hammer

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