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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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. swing — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. snap — to click
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pit — in a race
  11. season — of the year
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — a trail

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