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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: pit · wake · foot · snap · rush · cabinet · bay · bowl

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. snap — to click
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bay — a horse colour

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