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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. track — to keep track
  3. key — the most important part
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stand — to bear
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. track — a path
  16. suit — clothes
  17. key — in music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — a song
  24. stand — on your feet

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