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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: present · bay · swing · snap · sharp · toast · can · bowl

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. swing — music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. sharp — clever
  9. swing — to play on
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. present — there
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. can — a tin
  15. present — a gift
  16. can — a tin
  17. present — the time now
  18. can — to be able to
  19. toast — bread
  20. snap — to click
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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