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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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. prune — the fruit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ball — a dance
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bound — certain
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. snap — to click
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ball — a great time
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bound — tied together

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