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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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. snap — to click
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. season — of the year
  9. rock — music
  10. pop — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. season — in sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pop — to visit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pop — soda
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rock — a stone

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