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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: net · snap · bay · ground · sharp · ruler · trunk · dip

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. net — for catching
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ground — the earth
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ground — a position
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. dip — to sink
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. snap — to click

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