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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. track — a path
  4. bank — for money
  5. cell — a phone
  6. swing — music
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. swing — to play on
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. suit — in cards
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. suit — clothes
  21. track — a song
  22. suit — to fit
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bank — of a river

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