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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: wake · ground · snap · roll · squash · patient · stand · pit

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to click
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stand — to bear
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pit — in a race
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. roll — a list
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. roll — a cake

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