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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. present — there
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pitch — completely
  5. track — a path
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bank — for money
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. track — a song
  10. present — a gift
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bank — for money
  15. mate — to breed
  16. snap — to click
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bat — the animal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bat — for baseball

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