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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. tube — a container
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cue — for pool
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. can — to be able to
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cue — a hint
  24. deal — a big deal

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