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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. spell — magic
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. board — to get on
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. drill — the tool
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mate — a friend
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stock — shares
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. drill — a practice
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — a short time
  19. snap — to click
  20. drill — army training
  21. board — a committee
  22. spell — letters
  23. stock — goods
  24. mate — to breed

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