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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 116 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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spring — a coil
  6. dip — to sink
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rule — government
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spring — the season
  15. snap — to click
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spring — of water
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. charge — in control
  22. rule — a law
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. dip — to dunk

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