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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. kid — child
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pop — to visit
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. snap — to click
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pop — music
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pop — soda
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kid — to tease
  24. lean — thin

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