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

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a music group
  3. mate — to breed
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to click
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chest — a box
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. chest — of your body
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mate — a partner
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. chest — of your body
  17. band — a ring
  18. mate — a friend

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