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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. plane — a tool
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. board — to get on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kick — in football
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. board — a committee
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. snap — to click
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pass — a permit

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