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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. file — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — the underground
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. swing — music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. file — a document
  11. swing — to play on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wake — a trail
  15. swing — in golf
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. file — a line of people
  21. snap — to click
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. tube — a container
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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