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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.

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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: object · board · snap · content · cue · hide · chest · wave

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. board — a committee
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cue — for pool
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. snap — to click
  9. cue — a hint
  10. content — the amount
  11. object — to protest
  12. cue — a signal
  13. content — happy
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. object — an aim
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chest — of your body
  23. board — to get on
  24. object — a thing

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