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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cue — for pool
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. spring — the season
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. snap — to click
  17. spring — of water
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chip — for betting

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