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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. chest — a box
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. charge — a price
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. scale — size or range
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. charge — electricity
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. snap — to click
  16. charge — in control
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wake — a trail
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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