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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spell — letters
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spell — a short time
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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