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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. shower — to wash
  5. net — for catching
  6. suit — to fit
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. net — after costs
  10. lean — to bend
  11. shower — rain
  12. suit — in cards
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. root — of a plant
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lean — thin
  17. snap — to click
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. root — the cause
  20. mine — for digging
  21. root — of a word
  22. net — in sport
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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