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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. charge — electricity
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hand — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. charge — in control
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. snap — to click
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. charge — a price
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ball — a dance
  21. kid — child
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. hand — help

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