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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. band — a music group
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. can — a tin
  18. band — a ring
  19. swing — to play on
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cap — a hat
  24. swing — music

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