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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: rest · cold · snap · swing · deal · leaves · bay · fine

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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. cold — an illness
  3. swing — music
  4. cold — not warm
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. swing — to play on
  15. fine — all right
  16. snap — to click
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fine — high quality

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