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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: bear · snap · kick · jam · wave · cue · lean · wound

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. kick — in football
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lean — thin
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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