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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. roll — a list
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. snap — to click
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitch — completely

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