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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. date — the fruit
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lean — thin
  24. stand — to bear

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