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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pop — to visit
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. march — music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. toast — bread
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pop — soda
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pop — music
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mate — a friend
  15. snap — to click
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mate — a partner
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. dip — a sauce

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