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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pop — soda
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wound — an injury
  8. net — after costs
  9. pop — to visit
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pop — music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wake — a trail
  14. snap — to click
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. net — in sport
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fine — all right
  19. net — for catching
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pass — to spend time

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