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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. drill — army training
  3. track — to keep track
  4. net — in sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. net — for catching
  7. rest — a break
  8. swing — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. swing — to play on
  12. drill — a practice
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. track — a song
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stand — to bear
  19. saw — the tool
  20. net — after costs
  21. swing — in golf
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. track — a path
  24. stand — for spectators

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