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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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. net — after costs
  3. face — to point toward
  4. net — in sport
  5. snap — to click
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. track — a song
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. kick — in football
  16. track — a path
  17. net — for catching
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. face — to confront
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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