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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. snap — to click
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bulb — for light
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — child
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — a trainer

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