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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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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. track — a song
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. track — to keep track
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chest — a box
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stem — to come from
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. track — a path
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  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