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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chest — of your body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rash — a series
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — in sport
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. net — for catching
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. net — after costs
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. snap — to click
  24. dip — to sink

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