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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. board — a committee
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. board — to get on
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wax — to grow
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. roll — a list
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. squash — to crush
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pit — in a race
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. squash — the sport
  18. hand — help
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bound — certain
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. hand — in cards

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