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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. season — of the year
  3. mug — a face
  4. snap — to click
  5. sharp — clever
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. suit — clothes
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. object — an aim
  11. suit — to fit
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. suit — in cards
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. object — to protest
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — a cup
  19. object — a thing
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mug — to rob
  23. season — in sport
  24. fan — to cool the air

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