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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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. suit — clothes
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. hand — help
  5. wound — an injury
  6. snap — to click
  7. bulb — for light
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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