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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. snap — to click
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. clip — for paper
  10. capital — a city
  11. can — a tin
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — a tin
  18. cell — in biology
  19. clip — a video
  20. deal — to handle
  21. clip — to cut
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cell — a phone

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