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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rest — a break
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rest — what's left
  8. face — to confront
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. swing — in golf
  14. land — to come down
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. face — to point toward
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. swing — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stand — to bear
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. club — for dancing

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