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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to click
  7. pop — soda
  8. key — the most important part
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. band — a music group
  13. pop — music
  14. board — a committee
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rush — hurry
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. key — in music
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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