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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pit — a hole

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