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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. present — there
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pop — music
  10. snap — to click
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bat — the animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. present — a gift
  20. pop — soda
  21. present — the time now
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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