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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · can · key · wax · bay · pop · trunk · hide

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pop — to visit
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pop — music
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. key — in music
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. can — a tin
  16. key — for a lock
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pop — soda
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. key — the most important part

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