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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. scale — in music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. last — finally
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — to be able to
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. can — a tin
  11. rock — a stone
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. present — the time now
  14. can — a tin
  15. content — the amount
  16. rock — music
  17. last — to go on
  18. scale — size or range
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. content — happy
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. last — final

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