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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. suit — in cards
  6. sharp — clever
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. snap — to click
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. land — a country
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. land — to come down
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. land — ground
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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