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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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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: bay · rush · snap · bulb · racket · leaves · ball · can

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rush — hurry
  3. snap — to click
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bulb — for light
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ball — a dance

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