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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 116 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: wave · racket · lie · rule · cell · fork · snap · can

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. lie — an untruth
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. can — to be able to
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — in a road
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rule — government
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rule — a law
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. can — a tin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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