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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. snap — to click
  3. board — a committee
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. can — a tin
  7. firm — decided
  8. net — after costs
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. firm — steady
  12. board — to get on
  13. can — to be able to
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. net — for catching
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — in sport
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. calf — of the leg

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