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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · rush · stand · snap · staff · board · wave · craft

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. craft — boats
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — to get on
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. board — a committee
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. staff — employees
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. snap — to click
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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