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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rock — music
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. fine — high quality
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fine — all right
  18. rock — a stone
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fine — a penalty
  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