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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ground — a position
  9. kick — in football
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ground — crushed
  13. kid — to tease
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. snap — to click
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — the earth
  23. kid — child
  24. kick — with a leg

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