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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. snap — to click
  8. rule — government
  9. current — of water
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mug — to rob
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rule — a law
  18. current — happening now
  19. game — a match
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. current — electric
  22. mug — a face
  23. hand — help
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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