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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 · mate · kick · wind · bear · key · bay · arm

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. snap — to click
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. kick — in football
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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