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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fine — all right
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fine — high quality
  10. key — for a lock
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mate — a partner
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rock — music
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. key — in music

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