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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. march — music
  3. mug — a face
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. firm — decided
  7. pound — a weight
  8. firm — a company
  9. snap — to click
  10. firm — steady
  11. march — the month
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. kid — child
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. mug — a cup
  22. march — the month
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kid — to tease

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