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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cap — a hat
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pop — soda
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cap — of ice
  11. snap — to click
  12. object — a thing
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cap — a lid
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rush — hurry
  20. object — to protest
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. object — an aim
  23. pop — music
  24. staff — employees

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