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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. track — to keep track
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rash — hasty
  9. kick — in football
  10. lie — to recline
  11. firm — decided
  12. track — a song
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. track — a path
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. firm — a company
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. firm — steady
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — a series

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