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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. track — a song
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lean — thin
  11. pit — in a race
  12. track — a path
  13. can — a tin
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. can — a tin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. face — to point toward
  22. snap — to click
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lean — to rest against

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