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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. land — a country
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. club — a group
  8. tube — the underground
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kick — in football
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. club — for golf
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — for dancing

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