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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cue — a hint
  5. snap — to click
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fall — the season
  8. scale — in music
  9. cue — for pool
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mug — a face
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — help
  22. cue — a signal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mug — to rob

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