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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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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: toast · snap · kick · wake · mark · hand · mouse · spring

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hand — in cards
  4. kick — in football
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. toast — bread
  12. mark — a grade
  13. spring — of water
  14. mark — a trace
  15. spring — the season
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. snap — to click
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. hand — help
  24. wake — a trail

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