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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. deal — to handle
  6. capital — a city
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mug — a face
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rest — a break
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. snap — to click
  15. mug — a cup
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. capital — money
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rest — what's left

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