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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. charge — electricity
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. charge — a price
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. spring — of water
  11. pit — in a race
  12. snap — to click
  13. march — the month
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. march — music
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fork — in a road
  20. charge — in control
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pit — a hole

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