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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. snap — to click
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ground — crushed
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. land — ground
  9. ground — a position
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. land — to come down
  12. fall — the season
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — a country
  16. last — finally
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fall — to drop
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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