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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. charge — in control
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. charge — electricity
  11. roll — a list
  12. snap — to click
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. charge — a price
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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