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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. suit — clothes
  3. snap — to click
  4. spell — letters
  5. band — a ring
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wind — moving air
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — to fit
  13. band — a music group
  14. spell — magic
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. vault — a safe
  21. hand — help
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. safe — a strongbox

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