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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wake — a trail
  10. craft — a skill
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pop — soda
  20. snap — to click
  21. pop — music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. craft — boats

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