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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. last — final
  4. snap — to click
  5. key — in music
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cue — a signal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cue — a hint
  11. degree — temperature
  12. last — finally
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cue — for pool
  19. last — to go on
  20. key — the most important part
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lie — an untruth

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