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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. game — a match
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. object — an aim
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. club — for golf
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. object — to protest
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. club — a group
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. object — a thing
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. snap — to click
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pass — a permit
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fork — in a road

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