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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. swing — in golf
  4. snap — to click
  5. board — a committee
  6. mark — a grade
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mug — a face
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. board — to get on
  16. lean — thin
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. swing — music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. swing — to play on

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