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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. snap — to click
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wound — an injury
  7. net — after costs
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. net — in sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wound — an injury
  22. net — for catching
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bat — for baseball

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