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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. tube — the underground
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. row — to paddle
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. track — a song
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. row — a line
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. track — a path
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — to keep track
  24. snap — to click

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