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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. field — for sport
  4. snap — to click
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. field — farmland
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rock — music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. field — a subject
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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