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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. firm — decided
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spell — magic
  13. hand — help
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. firm — a company
  17. wake — a trail
  18. firm — steady
  19. spell — letters
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. snap — to click
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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