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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. perch — the fish
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mug — a face
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mug — a cup
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. squash — to crush
  22. face — to confront
  23. mug — to rob
  24. safe — out of danger

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