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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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. cabinet — ministers
  3. object — an aim
  4. pop — music
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. can — a tin
  10. club — for golf
  11. can — to be able to
  12. snap — to click
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. club — a group
  16. object — a thing
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pop — soda
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pop — to visit
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. object — to protest
  24. wave — of the sea

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