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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 116 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. snap — to click
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. land — to come down
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bound — certain
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bound — obliged
  14. land — a country
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. band — a music group
  20. land — ground
  21. band — a ring
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rash — a series

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