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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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. pop — to visit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. degree — temperature
  5. snap — to click
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pop — music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. degree — an amount
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pop — soda
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rush — to hurry

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