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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. dip — to sink
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. can — to be able to
  12. snap — to click
  13. hand — in cards
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. can — a tin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rush — hurry
  21. hand — help
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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