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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. can — a tin
  4. plane — a tool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. net — for catching
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bat — the animal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. can — a tin
  14. net — in sport
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. net — after costs
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. snap — to click
  24. safe — a strongbox

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