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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cue — a signal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bound — tied together
  6. key — in music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spell — magic
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fall — the season
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bound — certain
  23. fall — to drop
  24. key — for a lock

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