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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 116 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. club — a group
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. track — a path
  9. bound — obliged
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. track — a song
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — for dancing
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. club — for golf
  19. snap — to click
  20. bound — certain
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bound — tied together

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