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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. key — in music
  3. charge — in control
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cold — not warm
  8. key — for a lock
  9. snap — to click
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cue — a signal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. charge — a price
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. prune — to trim

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