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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. face — part of the head
  6. club — for golf
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. face — to point toward
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fine — all right
  12. face — to confront
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fine — high quality
  15. scale — size or range
  16. club — for dancing
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. club — a group
  19. snap — to click
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. scale — in music
  23. kid — child
  24. fine — a penalty

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