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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: rush · wave · bay · straw · deal · snap · track · sharp

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. deal — to handle
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rush — hurry
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. snap — to click
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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