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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 124 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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. present — there
  3. hand — in cards
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. spell — magic
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. spell — letters
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. hand — help
  19. snap — to click
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. spell — a short time
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pass — to spend time

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