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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 124 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cap — of ice
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. snap — to click
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. board — a committee
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bass — low music
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bass — the fish

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