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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. perch — the fish
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rule — a law
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. scale — size or range
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mate — to breed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — in music
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rule — government
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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