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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. board — a committee
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. board — to get on
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — decided
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. firm — a company
  19. pop — music
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fall — the season
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. firm — steady

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