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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. snap — to click
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. board — a committee
  9. mark — a grade
  10. root — of a word
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. board — to get on
  13. rule — government
  14. wind — moving air
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wind — moving air
  21. root — the cause
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. kick — in football
  24. root — of a plant

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