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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wake — a trail
  15. snap — to click
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bank — for money

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