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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bore — to tire
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wake — a trail
  10. dip — to sink
  11. kick — in football
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stock — shares
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stock — goods
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. snap — to click

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