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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. game — wild animals
  6. object — an aim
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. object — to protest
  10. game — a match
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ball — a dance
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stand — to bear
  19. clip — a video
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. object — a thing
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rock — music
  24. game — a kind of play

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