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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. board — a committee
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pitch — completely
  13. board — to get on
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. band — a music group
  18. bore — to tire
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bore — to drill
  22. dip — to sink
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. band — a ring

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