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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — after costs
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. drill — the tool
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. net — for catching
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. drill — army training
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. net — in sport

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