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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 120 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: hide · rest · game · sharp · snap · object · suit · pop

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rest — a break
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. object — a thing
  7. game — a match
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — clever
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. object — an aim
  14. snap — to click
  15. suit — in cards
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — soda
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. object — to protest
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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