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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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. sharp — exactly
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pop — soda
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. tube — the underground
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a match
  18. tube — a container
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. game — wild animals
  24. snap — to click

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