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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bat — the animal
  3. spell — magic
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. key — for a lock
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. key — in music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. key — the most important part
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cell — a phone
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. foot — a measure
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cell — in biology
  22. spell — letters
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bat — for baseball

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