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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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. suit — clothes
  3. cue — a hint
  4. suit — to fit
  5. toast — bread
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cue — for pool
  13. suit — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. cue — a signal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wake — a trail
  24. last — final

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