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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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. racket — for tennis
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. shower — to wash
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. squash — the sport
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. shower — rain
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fine — all right
  18. snap — to click
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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