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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. can — a tin
  4. march — music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — for a lock
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. key — in music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. key — the most important part
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chip — to eat

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