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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. dip — to sink
  3. can — a tin
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rule — a law
  7. hand — help
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lie — to recline
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rule — government
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rock — a stone
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bank — for money
  23. rock — music
  24. can — a tin

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