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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fork — in a road
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fall — the season
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fall — to drop
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to click
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. toast — bread
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wax — to grow

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