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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: fine · bowl · date · last · lash · snap · wake · bay

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. last — finally
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. last — to go on
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. date — the fruit
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. snap — to click
  24. bowl — to roll

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