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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: hand · game · rush · stand · snap · last · mark · staff

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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 snap out of it
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. staff — employees
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to click
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. game — a match
  14. last — final
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rush — hurry
  19. staff — employees
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  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