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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. present — the time now
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. charge — a price
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. charge — in control
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. present — a gift
  14. object — a thing
  15. present — there
  16. charge — electricity
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rock — a stone
  21. kid — child
  22. object — an aim
  23. deal — to handle
  24. object — to protest

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