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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: cap · bear · bowl · mate · board · file · chest · snap

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cap — of ice
  5. file — a document
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cap — a lid
  18. board — to get on
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. board — a committee

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