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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. snap — to click
  4. scale — in music
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. scale — size or range
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. object — an aim
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. degree — from a university
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. degree — temperature
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. degree — an amount
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. sharp — clever

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