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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to click
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rule — a law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rule — government

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