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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — to get on
  6. track — a song
  7. board — a committee
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. snap — to click
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wind — moving air
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. track — a path

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