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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. prune — to trim
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bat — the animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. snap — to click
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bay — a horse colour

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