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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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. file — a line of people
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. face — part of the head
  6. file — a tool
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cue — a hint
  9. club — a group
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bulb — for light
  13. club — for golf
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cue — a signal
  16. club — for dancing
  17. snap — to click
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. face — to confront
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wake — a trail
  23. file — a document
  24. can — a tin

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