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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. staff — employees
  5. snap — to click
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wound — an injury
  10. board — a committee
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. stock — shares
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stock — goods
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stock — a soup base

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