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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chip — for betting
  15. snap — to click
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. kick — in football
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. spring — the season
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spring — of water

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