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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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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: lie · game · foot · snap · object · jam · march · pass

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. object — to protest
  12. pass — a permit
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. object — an aim
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. game — a match
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. object — a thing
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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