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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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. date — the fruit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rock — a stone
  6. season — in sport
  7. mine — for digging
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fall — to drop
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rock — music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fall — the season
  18. snap — to click
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. season — of the year
  24. rock — to move gently

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