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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — hurry
  4. snap — to click
  5. charge — in control
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wake — a trail
  12. charge — electricity
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. file — a line of people
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. file — a tool
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. charge — a price
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a document
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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