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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rest — a break
  4. snap — to click
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. board — a committee
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. board — to get on
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. can — a tin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pound — a weight
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rest — what's left

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