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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. sharp — clever
  5. snap — to click
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stand — to bear
  10. season — in sport
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. season — of the year
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. chip — to eat
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chip — for betting
  24. row — a line

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