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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ball — a great time
  8. snap — to click
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ball — a dance
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. file — a document
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. file — a tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. deal — an agreement

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