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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ground — a position
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ground — the earth
  7. charge — electricity
  8. kick — in football
  9. rush — hurry
  10. last — finally
  11. bear — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. charge — in control
  14. last — to go on
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. charge — a price
  23. last — final
  24. mouse — the animal

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