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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pass — a permit
  3. board — to get on
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. game — wild animals
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. board — a committee
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. game — a match
  19. net — in sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — government
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rule — a law
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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