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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chest — of your body
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chest — a box
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pound — a weight
  19. board — a committee
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. chest — of your body

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