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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bass — low music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. key — in music
  7. present — the time now
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — to fit
  12. key — the most important part
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. present — there
  24. leaves — to go away

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