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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ball — a dance
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. hand — in cards
  6. object — to protest
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hand — help
  12. snap — to click
  13. bass — low music
  14. object — a thing
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. object — an aim

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