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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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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 · racket · hide · bat · object · wake · bay · fine

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. object — a thing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wake — a trail
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. object — an aim
  18. fine — all right
  19. snap — to click
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. object — to protest

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