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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rash — a series
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ball — a dance
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ball — a round shape

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