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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.

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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. swing — in golf
  4. dip — to sink
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. row — to paddle
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. snap — to click
  22. fine — all right
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. safe — out of danger

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