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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: mouse · bore · bay · sharp · snap · ground · mark · roll

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bore — to tire
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bore — to drill
  17. roll — a list
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mark — a grade
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. snap — to click
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. sharp — clever

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