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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. can — a tin
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cold — an illness
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bank — for money
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. swing — music
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. rest — what's left
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. rest — a break
  17. swing — in golf
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. can — a tin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — for money
  24. pass — to spend time

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