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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. snap — to click
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chip — to eat
  5. staff — a stick
  6. tube — a container
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. board — a committee
  9. staff — employees
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. last — final
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. staff — employees
  18. chip — for betting
  19. last — to go on
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. board — to get on
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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