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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bat — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. prune — to trim
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mug — a face
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mug — a cup
  24. prune — to trim

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