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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. stand — to bear
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. snap — to click
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. charge — in control
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. net — for catching
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. net — in sport
  20. last — finally
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. net — after costs
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wake — before a funeral

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