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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pop — music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. snap — to click
  13. kid — child
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pop — soda
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mate — to breed
  24. kid — to tease

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