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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. can — a tin
  3. field — farmland
  4. lie — to recline
  5. deal — to handle
  6. staff — employees
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. snap — to click
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rush — hurry
  15. field — a subject
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — for sport
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. staff — employees
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rest — a break

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