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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 120 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: bat · snap · wake · cue · rule · fan · bay · track

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. snap — to click
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bat — the animal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. track — a song
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. track — a path
  24. rule — to rule out

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