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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spell — letters
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. deal — to handle
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spell — magic
  9. key — in music
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. spell — a short time
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. snap — to click
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mug — a face

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