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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rash — hasty
  3. drill — the tool
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spell — letters
  7. rash — a series
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pound — a weight
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. drill — army training
  23. spell — magic
  24. stand — to bear

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