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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 116 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: wind · mark · pit · hide · snap · club · lie · racket

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pit — in a race
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. club — for golf
  9. snap — to click
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mark — a trace
  14. club — a group
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — a grade

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