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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bound — obliged
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pop — soda
  11. spell — magic
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pop — to visit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bound — tied together
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bound — certain
  18. pop — music
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wave — of the sea
  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