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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. snap — to click
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. land — ground
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. saw — the tool
  11. land — a country
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mark — a grade
  21. land — to come down
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. racket — for tennis

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