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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — army training
  3. snap — to click
  4. object — a thing
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lean — thin
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spring — a coil
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. spring — the season
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spring — of water
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. straw — dry grass

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