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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called 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. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to click
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — letters
  8. rest — what's left
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rest — a break
  14. spell — magic
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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