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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rule — a law
  5. content — happy
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mark — a trace
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chest — of your body
  16. snap — to click
  17. rule — government
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — to fit
  20. content — the amount
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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