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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — to get on
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bass — low music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bound — tied together
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. board — a committee
  20. snap — to click
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bound — certain
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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