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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. suit — to fit
  6. snap — to click
  7. file — a line of people
  8. content — happy
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. march — the month
  11. mine — for digging
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. content — the amount
  17. march — the month
  18. file — a tool
  19. march — music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. file — a document
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mine — belonging to me

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