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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. can — to be able to
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. can — a tin
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wind — moving air
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. mug — a cup
  16. track — to keep track
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. can — a tin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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