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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. spell — letters
  3. cap — a lid
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spell — magic
  23. rock — music
  24. rush — a thrill

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