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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. snap — to click
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. net — in sport
  6. kick — in football
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. lean — thin
  11. pit — a hole
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. last — final
  15. net — after costs
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. last — finally
  19. net — for catching
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. last — to go on
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pit — in a race
  24. safe — out of danger

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