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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. board — a committee
  3. spell — letters
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mug — to rob
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mug — a face
  12. snap — to click
  13. spell — magic
  14. mug — a cup
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cue — a signal
  18. clip — to cut
  19. board — to get on
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. clip — a video
  23. cue — for pool
  24. temple — side of the head

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