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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mark — a trace
  7. snap — to click
  8. stem — to come from
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. staff — employees
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. suit — to fit
  16. board — a committee
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. staff — a stick
  22. suit — clothes
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. date — the fruit

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