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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. key — the most important part
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. shower — rain
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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