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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. board — a committee
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mug — to rob
  5. snap — to click
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mug — a face
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bound — certain
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bound — tied together

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