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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. content — happy
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. deal — to handle
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rock — a stone
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. content — the amount
  14. face — part of the head
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. face — to confront
  23. saw — the tool
  24. face — to point toward

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