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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mark — a trace
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wake — a trail
  10. court — of a king
  11. hand — in cards
  12. court — of law
  13. drill — army training
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. court — for sport
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. hand — help
  23. mark — a grade
  24. hand — part of the body

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