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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rush — hurry
  10. row — a line
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rest — a break
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — a thrill

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