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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mark — a trace
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to click
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mark — a grade
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. board — to get on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — a committee
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pit — in a race
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bat — in an idiom

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