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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 124 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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. snap — to click
  3. cap — a hat
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. tube — a container
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cap — a lid
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. club — a group
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. club — for golf
  18. roll — a cake
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rush — hurry
  21. club — for dancing
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. tube — in a tire

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