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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to click
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. charge — in control
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — to go on
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mug — to rob
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mug — a face
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mug — a cup
  24. prune — to trim

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