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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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. snap — to speak sharply
  3. shower — to wash
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. season — of the year
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. content — the amount
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to click
  11. wake — a trail
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. present — the time now
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. present — there
  21. shower — rain
  22. present — a gift
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. content — happy

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