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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. staff — a stick
  5. key — in music
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to click
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bound — certain
  13. cold — an illness
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bound — tied together
  16. suit — to fit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. staff — employees
  19. key — the most important part
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. suit — clothes
  24. fan — a supporter

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