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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bank — of a river
  7. snap — to click
  8. bank — for money
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bank — for money
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. scale — size or range
  15. clip — a video
  16. bound — obliged
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wake — a trail
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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