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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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468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. snap — to click
  3. ground — crushed
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mug — a cup
  7. ground — the earth
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. key — in music
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ground — a position
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — a face
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wind — moving air

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