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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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 — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. snap — to click
  5. key — for a lock
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bound — certain
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bound — obliged
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. key — in music
  18. season — of the year
  19. bound — tied together
  20. season — in sport
  21. swing — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. swing — in golf
  24. key — the most important part

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