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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. snap — to click
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chest — of your body
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pop — soda
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chest — a box
  19. net — for catching
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — after costs
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. net — in sport
  24. bank — of a river

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