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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. net — after costs
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cell — in biology
  12. net — for catching
  13. band — a ring
  14. net — in sport
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. snap — to click
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hand — help
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. band — a music group
  24. lash — to lash out

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