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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · land · game · cabinet · board · snap · mug · club

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. land — to come down
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. board — to get on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mug — a cup
  13. club — for golf
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. club — a group
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. land — a country
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mug — to rob
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. land — ground

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