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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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. staff — employees
  3. bat — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. hand — help
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hand — in cards
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. snap — to click
  14. game — a match
  15. object — an aim
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. staff — a stick
  18. game — wild animals
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. object — to protest
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. object — a thing
  24. staff — employees

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