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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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. snap — to click
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bass — the fish
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. shower — rain
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pit — in a race
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pit — a hole
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. foot — a measure

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