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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. key — in music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ground — a position
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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