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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · date · cabinet · bay · jam · hide

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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. date — the fruit
  3. snap — to click
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. date — on the calendar

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