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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 116 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: snap · bay · pound · fan · suit · rest · present · lean

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lean — thin
  5. suit — to fit
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. present — the time now
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — a gift
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rest — what's left
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rest — a break
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. present — there
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fan — a supporter

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