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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 124 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — for light
  4. object — an aim
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. snap — to click
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ground — crushed
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bulb — for light
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. object — to protest
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. object — a thing
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ball — a dance

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