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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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Word bank
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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. track — to keep track
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. board — a committee
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ball — a great time
  17. track — a song
  18. lie — to recline
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. track — a path
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. snap — to click

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