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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. can — a tin
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. present — there
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. present — the time now
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. present — a gift
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. snap — to click
  23. spell — magic
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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