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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. present — a gift
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mug — a face
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. board — to get on
  15. present — there
  16. stand — to bear
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — a committee
  23. mug — a cup
  24. scale — size or range

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