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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mate — a partner
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. scale — in music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — a friend
  11. scale — size or range
  12. object — an aim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — all right
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. object — to protest
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. scale — for weighing

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