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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hand — in cards
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — boats
  15. hand — help
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rule — a law
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rule — government
  22. cue — for pool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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