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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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. snap — to speak sharply
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. snap — to click
  8. hand — help
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. capital — a city
  12. date — the fruit
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hand — in cards
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. race — the arms race
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. capital — money
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. suit — in cards

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