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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. rest — what's left
  8. capital — a city
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. capital — money
  17. pit — a hole
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. object — to protest
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rest — a break
  24. fan — a supporter

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