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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fine — all right
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. tube — a container
  7. club — a group
  8. spring — a coil
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for golf
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fine — high quality
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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