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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 124 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. key — for a lock
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — for catching
  7. key — the most important part
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mug — to rob
  11. net — in sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. key — in music
  15. net — after costs
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. prune — to trim
  21. shower — rain
  22. mug — a cup
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mug — a face

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