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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to click
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. foot — a measure
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ground — crushed
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. chip — to eat
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ground — a position

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