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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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. mark — to pay attention
  3. snap — to click
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. season — of the year
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — a grade
  11. season — in sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mark — a trace
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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