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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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. spell — a short time
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. object — a thing
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. object — an aim
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spell — letters
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spell — magic
  19. wake — a trail
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. snap — to click
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. game — a match
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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