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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spell — magic
  6. dip — to sink
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. snap — to click
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. can — a tin
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. can — a tin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — to be able to
  24. track — a song

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