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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bass — low music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mark — a grade
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. capital — a city
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. capital — money
  20. snap — to click
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mark — a trace
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. leaves — of a tree

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