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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. land — ground
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. snap — to click
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. root — of a word
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rule — a law
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rule — government
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. land — a country

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