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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. face — to confront
  8. charge — electricity
  9. snap — to click
  10. charge — a price
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. scale — in music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. charge — in control
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. face — to point toward
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cabinet — ministers

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