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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lean — thin
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to click
  8. board — to get on
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ground — a position
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lean — to bend
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — certain
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. dip — to sink

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