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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. last — to go on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mate — a friend
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rest — a break
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. last — final
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mate — a partner
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. last — finally
  21. kick — in football
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rest — what's left

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