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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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. land — ground
  3. suit — to fit
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pass — a permit
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. wind — moving air
  15. land — to come down
  16. wind — moving air
  17. land — a country
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. suit — clothes
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. snap — to click
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. suit — in cards

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