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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cell — a phone
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cell — in biology
  6. snap — to click
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. root — of a word
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. file — a tool
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. file — a document
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. root — the cause
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mouse — for a computer

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