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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. staff — a stick
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. squash — the sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. last — final
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. staff — employees
  12. last — finally
  13. staff — employees
  14. snap — to click
  15. degree — temperature
  16. object — to protest
  17. last — to go on
  18. object — a thing
  19. mug — to rob
  20. squash — to crush
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. object — an aim

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