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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lie — to recline
  4. file — a document
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. can — to be able to
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. board — a committee
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. last — final
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. board — to get on
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. last — to go on
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. last — finally
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. club — for golf

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