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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. board — a committee
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. snap — to click
  10. rush — hurry
  11. board — to get on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spell — letters
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chip — to eat
  19. spell — magic
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. row — to paddle

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