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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rock — a stone
  4. file — a tool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bank — for money
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. staff — employees
  14. bank — of a river
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. snap — to click
  18. sharp — clever
  19. file — a document
  20. bank — for money
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. board — a committee
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. board — to get on

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