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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 · bay · hand · jam · bat · stand · cabinet · kick

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. hand — help
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — in football
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. snap — to click
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. hand — in cards
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stand — to bear
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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