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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. shower — rain
  3. board — a committee
  4. tube — a container
  5. snap — to click
  6. rush — hurry
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cap — a lid
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bat — the animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cap — a hat
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. deal — to handle

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