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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pop — soda
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. fall — to drop
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. snap — to click
  9. suit — clothes
  10. land — a country
  11. band — a music group
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pop — music
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fall — to drop
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fall — the season
  22. suit — in cards
  23. band — a ring
  24. pop — to visit

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