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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: wave · snap · rash · pop · wound · pit · game · charge

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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. game — a match
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pit — a hole
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. charge — in control
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rash — a series
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rash — hasty
  14. snap — to click
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pop — soda
  22. charge — a price
  23. pop — music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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