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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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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: snap · leaves · cue · pitch · lie · racket · charge · wind

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. charge — electricity
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wind — moving air
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. cue — a hint
  18. charge — a price
  19. cue — for pool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. charge — in control
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lie — to recline

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