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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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. mate — a partner
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. snap — to click
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. spell — magic
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. spell — letters

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