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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: rock · net · fall · rash · lean · snap · charge · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. net — in sport
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rock — music
  5. charge — in control
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rash — a series
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — in a race
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lean — thin
  18. fall — the season
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fall — to drop
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. snap — to click
  24. charge — a price

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