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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. court — of law
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. net — in sport
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. court — of a king
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. snap — to click
  16. net — for catching
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fine — all right
  20. net — after costs
  21. court — for sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fine — high quality

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