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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rock — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. row — a line
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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