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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. mug — a cup
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mug — a face
  6. court — of a king
  7. pit — in a race
  8. can — a tin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. current — of water
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mug — to rob
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. snap — to click
  21. row — to paddle
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. row — a line

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