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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. present — there
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ball — a great time
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. present — the time now
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ball — a dance
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. key — in music
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — a container
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wound — an injury
  24. present — a gift

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