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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. cap — a hat
  3. staff — a stick
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. staff — employees
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kick — in football
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cap — a lid
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — of ice
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. snap — to click

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