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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. snap — to click
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fall — the season
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — goods
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stock — shares
  22. fall — to drop
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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