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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 120 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. track — a path
  8. snap — to click
  9. track — to keep track
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wound — an injury
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. track — a song
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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