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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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. tear — to rip
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fine — all right
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pass — a permit
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stock — goods
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fine — high quality
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. tear — from crying
  24. snap — to click

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