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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. face — part of the head
  4. track — a song
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wake — a trail
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. snap — to click
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chip — to eat
  19. face — to confront
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. track — a path
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kick — a thrill

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