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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. suit — to fit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. race — the arms race
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. race — humankind
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hand — help
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. race — a contest
  18. fine — all right
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fork — in a road
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. deal — an agreement

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