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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. snap — to click
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ground — crushed
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. ground — a position
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. ground — the earth
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. roll — a list
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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