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

Word bank: snap · game · straw · stand · pass · board · chip · wake

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wake — a trail
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pass — a permit
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chip — for betting
  16. board — to get on
  17. chip — to eat
  18. game — a match
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. board — a committee
  21. snap — to click
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wake — before a funeral

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