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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · wake · date · pound · board · pitcher · snap · spring

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wake — a trail
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. board — a committee
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spring — of water
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. spring — a coil
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — to get on
  19. spring — the season
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. date — the fruit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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