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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hand — help
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — a committee
  18. vault — a safe
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. hand — in cards
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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