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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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. charge — a price
  3. spell — letters
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. charge — in control
  7. spell — a short time
  8. face — to point toward
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. face — part of the head
  11. dip — to sink
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wake — a trail
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. spell — magic
  23. face — to confront
  24. snap — to click

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