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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pass — a permit
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. land — ground
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. swing — music
  15. spell — a short time
  16. snap — to click
  17. spell — letters
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. swing — in golf
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. date — the fruit
  23. swing — to play on
  24. spell — magic

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