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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cap — a hat
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mark — a grade
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cap — of ice
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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