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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. present — a gift
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. present — there
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bound — obliged
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bound — certain
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. present — the time now
  13. swing — to play on
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chip — for betting
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bound — tied together
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. snap — to click
  22. deal — to handle
  23. swing — music
  24. deal — an agreement

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