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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to click
  6. spell — magic
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pop — to visit
  9. shower — to wash
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. shower — rain
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. can — a tin
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pop — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pop — soda
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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