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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rest — a break
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. last — finally
  5. spring — of water
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. foot — a measure
  10. spring — the season
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — to go on
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. last — final
  24. hide — to keep secret

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