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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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. mine — an explosive
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rule — government
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mine — for digging

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