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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. root — the cause
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. rock — music
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rash — a series
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bat — the animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. root — of a word
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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