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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. present — there
  4. suit — in cards
  5. present — the time now
  6. snap — to click
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cap — of ice
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. board — to get on
  15. suit — clothes
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. present — a gift
  21. cap — a hat
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. board — a committee

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