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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wake — a trail
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. degree — an amount
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mug — a cup
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mug — a face
  14. fall — the season
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. degree — from a university
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fall — to drop
  21. degree — temperature
  22. snap — to click
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — before a funeral

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