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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · kick · mug · chair · mouse · key · mark · snap

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. key — in music
  4. mug — a face
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wake — a trail
  7. kick — in football
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mug — to rob
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mug — a cup
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mark — a trace
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mark — a grade
  23. snap — to click
  24. mouse — the animal

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