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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — the underground
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. capital — a city
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. capital — money
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. tube — a container
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bear — 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