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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. tear — from crying
  3. drill — army training
  4. season — in sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. tear — to rip
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cue — a hint
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. tear — from crying
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cue — for pool
  19. season — of the year
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bulb — for light
  22. snap — to click
  23. chip — in a computer
  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