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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: hand · snap · fine · mate · key · roll · bay · toast

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. hand — help
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. key — in music
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. key — for a lock
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mate — to breed
  18. roll — a list
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fine — all right

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