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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. key — in music
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bank — for money
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mark — a trace
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mark — a grade

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