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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. track — a song
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. net — for catching
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bear — the animal
  24. track — a path

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