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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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. ball — a great time
  3. cue — for pool
  4. land — to come down
  5. ball — a dance
  6. snap — to click
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. land — a country
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. chest — of your body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. land — ground
  14. suit — clothes
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chest — a box
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — to fit

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