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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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. wake — a trail
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. firm — a company
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. clip — for paper
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. snap — to click
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. clip — a video

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