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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. net — after costs
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. march — the month
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. roll — a list
  16. mug — a face
  17. net — in sport
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. march — the month
  21. key — the most important part
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. net — for catching
  24. march — music

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