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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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. squash — to crush
  3. snap — to click
  4. scale — in music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. mark — a trace
  9. toast — bread
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. squash — the sport
  12. face — to confront
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pound — a weight
  16. face — part of the head
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. face — to point toward
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. toast — the most admired

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