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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a hole
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stand — to bear
  7. key — the most important part
  8. degree — from a university
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. key — in music
  19. net — for catching
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. safe — a strongbox

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