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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mug — a cup
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mug — a face
  6. cell — in biology
  7. last — to go on
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. last — finally
  15. mark — a grade
  16. last — final
  17. mug — to rob
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. sharp — clever
  21. row — to paddle
  22. snap — to click
  23. row — a line
  24. mark — to pay attention

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