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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rush — hurry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bat — the animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ground — a position

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