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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 120 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 · shower · march · mark · chest · mouse · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. march — the month
  6. chest — of your body
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. snap — to click
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. swing — in golf
  18. shower — rain
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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