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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mate — a partner
  4. board — a committee
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — a friend
  7. present — a gift
  8. rash — a series
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rash — hasty
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rule — government
  14. present — there
  15. rule — a law
  16. board — to get on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hand — help
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. snap — to click
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. hand — part of the body

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