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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. charge — a price
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. net — after costs
  11. pass — a permit
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tear — to rip
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. net — in sport
  17. charge — in control
  18. net — for catching
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — electricity
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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