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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. game — a match
  5. track — a path
  6. drill — the tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. drill — a practice
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. land — ground
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. drill — army training
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. track — a song
  24. snap — to click

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