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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. net — in sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. net — after costs
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lean — thin
  18. net — for catching
  19. snap — to click
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — to handle

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