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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. swing — to play on
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. scale — in music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. cue — a signal
  19. snap — to click
  20. swing — music
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mouse — the animal

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