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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. snap — to click
  3. ground — the earth
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. board — to get on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ground — crushed
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rock — a stone
  13. net — after costs
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rock — music
  21. ground — a position
  22. net — for catching
  23. cap — of ice
  24. net — in sport

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