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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. snap — to click
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. face — part of the head
  5. board — to get on
  6. face — to point toward
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. board — a committee
  22. face — to confront
  23. perch — for a bird
  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