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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spell — letters
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mug — a face
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fall — the season
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spell — magic
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rush — hurry
  20. snap — to click
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mark — a grade
  24. spell — a short time

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