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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to click
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. branch — a division
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spell — letters
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rest — a break
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. can — to be able to
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. can — a tin

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