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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. snap — to click
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — in music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. file — a line of people
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. file — a tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. key — the most important part
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. file — a document
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fan — a supporter

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