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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. track — a path
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. track — a song
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. content — happy
  15. present — there
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. present — the time now
  19. mug — to rob
  20. snap — to click
  21. wake — a trail
  22. present — a gift
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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