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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. last — finally
  10. rush — hurry
  11. last — to go on
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. snap — to click
  14. last — final
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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