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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spell — letters
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. snap — to click
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mark — a trace
  10. charge — in control
  11. scale — size or range
  12. spell — a short time
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spell — magic
  20. charge — a price
  21. game — wild animals
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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