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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. kick — in football
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. snap — to click
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. swing — music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. swing — to play on
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. safe — out of danger

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