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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.

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: hand · hide · snap · board · swing · current · fine · row

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. board — to get on
  3. hand — in cards
  4. row — a line
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. swing — to play on
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. row — to paddle
  10. swing — music
  11. hand — help
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fine — high quality
  14. swing — in golf
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. fine — all right
  19. current — happening now
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — a committee
  23. row — a quarrel
  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