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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: firm · leaves · wind · board · roll · snap · mark · staff

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. snap — to click
  3. firm — decided
  4. wind — moving air
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mark — a trace
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mark — a grade
  11. roll — a list
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. roll — a cake
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. staff — employees

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