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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mug — a face
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. row — a line
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rule — a law
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mate — to breed
  16. ball — a great time
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mate — a friend
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rule — government
  22. row — to paddle
  23. snap — to click
  24. ball — a dance

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