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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rule — a law
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rule — government
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. chair — a leader
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. snap — to click
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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