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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. snap — to click
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. swing — to play on
  15. kick — in football
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. swing — music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. swing — in golf

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