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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: cap · wave · bound · bat · snap · cabinet · pass · kid

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. kid — child
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bat — the animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bound — certain
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bound — tied together
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wave — with your hand

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