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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. game — a match
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lean — thin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rash — on the skin

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