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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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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wake — a trail
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. swing — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mark — a grade
  11. race — the arms race
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. swing — in golf
  17. race — a contest
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. swing — to play on
  21. race — humankind
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wake — before a funeral

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