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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wake — a trail
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. snap — to click
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. vault — a safe
  13. kid — child
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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