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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. degree — temperature
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. snap — to click
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stem — to come from
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. degree — an amount
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pass — a permit

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