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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rock — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rock — a stone
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. snap — to click

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