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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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 speak sharply
  2. fall — to drop
  3. snap — to click
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rule — a law
  11. content — the amount
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fall — the season
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fall — to drop
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  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