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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. net — after costs
  5. season — of the year
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. tube — a container
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. tube — the underground
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pound — a weight
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. face — to confront
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. net — in sport
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. temple — a place of worship

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