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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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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: pit · staff · snap · club · mark · tear · deal · wake

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tear — to rip
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. snap — to click
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mark — a grade
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. club — a group
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tear — from crying

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