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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.

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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mine — for digging
  5. firm — a company
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. firm — steady
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rush — hurry
  24. dip — to dunk

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