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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 116 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fall — the season
  3. march — music
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fine — high quality
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hand — help
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fall — to drop
  17. snap — to click
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fine — all right
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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