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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. staff — employees
  4. snap — to click
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rash — hasty
  8. track — a song
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. track — a path
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rash — a series
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. staff — employees
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. board — to get on
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wake — a trail
  23. track — to keep track
  24. staff — a stick

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