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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. snap — to click
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fall — the season
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. press — to push
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fall — to drop
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. press — a publisher
  16. tube — a container
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. press — newspapers
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. hand — help

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