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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. drill — the tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stock — goods
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stock — shares
  17. mark — a grade
  18. snap — to click
  19. drill — a practice
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — army training
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. ground — a position

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