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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. snap — to click
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. face — to confront

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