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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. can — to be able to
  13. hand — in cards
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. date — the fruit
  16. can — a tin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. snap — to click
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. can — a tin

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