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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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. snap — to speak sharply
  3. swing — music
  4. snap — to click
  5. current — happening now
  6. mug — to rob
  7. current — of water
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bear — the animal
  11. current — electric
  12. bound — certain
  13. mug — a face
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. face — to point toward
  19. swing — in golf
  20. face — to confront
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bound — obliged

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