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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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. bound — tied together
  3. march — the month
  4. snap — to click
  5. content — happy
  6. saw — the tool
  7. content — the amount
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bound — certain
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. march — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cue — for pool
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cue — a hint
  17. march — the month
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bound — obliged
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. calf — of the leg

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