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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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. charge — a price
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. snap — to click
  8. charge — electricity
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. key — for a lock
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — in music
  19. tear — to rip
  20. charge — in control
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fine — high quality

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