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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stock — shares
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cold — not warm
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. stock — goods
  16. key — the most important part
  17. snap — to click
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mark — a grade
  20. key — in music
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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