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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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. roll — a list
  3. mark — a trace
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. key — in music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ground — a position
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. key — for a lock
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ground — the earth
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. snap — to click
  20. ground — crushed
  21. roll — a cake
  22. key — the most important part
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — to sink

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