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

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. present — there
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. present — the time now
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. present — a gift
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. toast — bread
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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