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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · rock · mine · pit · can · rush · snap · bear

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. snap — to click
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rock — music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. last — to go on
  8. pit — in a race
  9. last — finally
  10. can — a tin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — final
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  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