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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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. spell — letters
  3. mug — a face
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. tube — a container
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. spell — magic
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spell — a short time
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. spring — of water
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. snap — to click
  19. mark — a trace
  20. tube — the underground
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fine — all right
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mug — to rob

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