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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pop — music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. snap — to click
  6. mate — a friend
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. chair — a leader
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wax — to grow
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pop — soda

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