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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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. hand — in cards
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mug — a cup
  6. key — in music
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mug — a face
  12. hand — help
  13. snap — to click
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wound — an injury
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bear — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bear — to put up with

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