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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mug — a face
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cap — a lid
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. snap — to click
  15. rule — government
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cap — a hat
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cap — of ice
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. date — on the calendar

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