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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 120 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. drill — army training
  4. snap — to click
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. sharp — clever
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rule — government
  14. drill — the tool
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rule — a law
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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