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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. firm — steady
  7. hand — help
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hand — in cards
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. firm — a company
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. firm — decided
  21. snap — to click
  22. current — happening now
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lash — an eyelash

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