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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bear — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. file — a tool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. net — after costs
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cue — a hint
  16. track — a path
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. track — a song
  20. file — a document
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. snap — to click
  24. cabinet — ministers

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