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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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. snap — to click
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chip — to eat
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. key — in music
  19. season — in sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. key — the most important part
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. last — final
  24. chip — for betting

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