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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. snap — to click
  3. mug — a face
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. dip — to sink
  9. season — in sport
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rule — a law
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. season — of the year
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. hand — help
  23. rule — government
  24. pit — in a race

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