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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. chip — to eat
  6. snap — to click
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mug — a face
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kick — in football
  16. chip — for betting
  17. present — there
  18. rock — a stone
  19. present — a gift
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wake — a trail
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. jam — a tight spot

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