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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. shower — rain
  11. rock — music
  12. suit — clothes
  13. shower — to wash
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rock — a stone
  22. suit — to fit
  23. snap — to click
  24. racket — a loud noise

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