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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mark — a trace
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fall — to drop
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. snap — to click
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fall — to drop
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mark — a grade
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. board — a committee
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fall — the season

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