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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: snap · race · roll · bay · craft · stand · toast · foot

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. foot — a measure
  3. race — humankind
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. race — the arms race
  7. roll — a list
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. toast — bread
  12. craft — boats
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. snap — to click
  17. stand — to bear
  18. craft — a skill
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. race — a contest
  24. craft — a handicraft

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