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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pop — music
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bass — low music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pit — in a race
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pop — soda
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. snap — to click
  24. hide — to keep secret

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