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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mug — a cup
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. spring — the season
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. spring — of water
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ground — a position
  12. mug — a face
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mug — to rob
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. snap — to click

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