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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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. spring — a coil
  3. bank — for money
  4. spring — of water
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. rest — what's left
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fall — the season
  13. rest — a break
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rock — music
  19. spring — the season
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bank — for money
  22. rest — what's left
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fall — to drop

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