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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bank — for money
  3. snap — to click
  4. cue — a hint
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. squash — the sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. board — a committee
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bank — of a river
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bank — for money

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