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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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. mark — a grade
  3. bass — low music
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. court — of a king
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. charge — a price
  9. mark — a trace
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. last — to go on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. last — finally
  15. charge — in control
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. last — final
  18. can — a tin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. court — of law
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — electricity
  23. court — for sport
  24. snap — to click

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