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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. snap — to click
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stock — shares
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mate — a partner
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. sharp — clever
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bear — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. sharp — with an edge

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