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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. scale — size or range
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rock — music
  8. game — a match
  9. bear — the animal
  10. snap — to click
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rock — a stone
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. scale — in music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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