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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. object — to protest
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mate — a partner
  7. object — a thing
  8. bank — for money
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bank — for money
  14. cue — a signal
  15. object — an aim
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cue — a hint
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mate — a friend

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