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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rule — government
  7. cell — a phone
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to click
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mark — a trace
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rule — a law
  24. cell — in biology

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