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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. kid — child
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pound — a weight
  11. snap — to click
  12. suit — in cards
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. kid — to tease
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. suit — clothes
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bulb — for light

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