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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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Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. suit — clothes
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. snap — to click
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cap — a hat
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mug — a cup
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cell — in biology
  14. present — the time now
  15. mug — a face
  16. present — there
  17. cell — a phone
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cap — of ice
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cap — a lid

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