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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · face · game · mug · wave · snap · rush · toast

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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. toast — bread
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. content — happy
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. game — a match
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. content — the amount
  14. snap — to click
  15. mug — to rob
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mug — a cup
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mug — a face

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