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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fall — the season
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ground — crushed
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cue — a hint
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rash — a series
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. straw — dry grass

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