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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tear — from crying
  6. can — a tin
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kick — in football
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rock — music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mark — a grade
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mark — a trace
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tear — from crying
  24. kick — with a leg

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