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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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. lash — an eyelash
  3. mark — a trace
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mug — a face
  10. capital — a city
  11. mug — to rob
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cold — an illness
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. capital — money
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. snap — to click
  24. mug — a cup

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