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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. row — a line
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. spring — the season
  5. lean — thin
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — to paddle
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bank — of a river
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bank — for money
  17. mug — to rob
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mug — a face
  20. spring — of water
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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