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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. hand — in cards
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. present — a gift
  11. suit — clothes
  12. present — the time now
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. scale — in music
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rash — a series
  18. scale — size or range
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. suit — to fit
  21. present — there
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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