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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mug — a cup
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rock — music
  6. snap — to click
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mug — to rob
  10. last — to go on
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mug — a face
  19. last — final
  20. stand — to bear
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. last — finally
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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