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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bat — the animal
  21. spring — the season
  22. snap — to click
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. spring — of water

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