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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. snap — to click
  5. pass — a permit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. shower — rain
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wake — a trail
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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