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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 124 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: rock · board · wave · kick · snap · fan · content · bowl

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. board — a committee
  7. kick — in football
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rock — a stone
  12. content — the amount
  13. snap — to click
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. board — to get on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. content — happy
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wave — with your hand

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