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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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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. board — a committee
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — music
  14. object — an aim
  15. snap — to click
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. object — to protest
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. board — to get on
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. object — a thing
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wound — an injury

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