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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mine — for digging
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. deal — to handle
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — the season
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a ring
  21. snap — to click
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fall — to drop
  24. content — the amount

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