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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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. pop — soda
  3. wake — a trail
  4. snap — to click
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pop — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — a group
  10. spell — letters
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. club — for golf
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. club — for dancing
  19. row — to paddle
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pop — to visit
  23. face — to confront
  24. temple — a place of worship

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