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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to click
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. spring — of water
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spring — the season
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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