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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a match
  13. rest — what's left
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rest — what's left
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rest — a break
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. calf — of the leg

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