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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hand — help
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rest — a break
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pop — music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rest — what's left
  9. snap — to click
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — a hole
  12. key — in music
  13. pop — soda
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — a thing
  19. key — the most important part
  20. hand — in cards
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. pop — to visit

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