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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — final
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. last — to go on
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — to be able to
  12. court — of law
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. last — finally
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. court — for sport
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. court — of a king
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — hurry

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