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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. firm — steady
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. season — of the year
  8. firm — decided
  9. chest — of your body
  10. snap — to click
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wake — a trail
  13. firm — a company
  14. chest — a box
  15. rush — hurry
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. chest — of your body

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