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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. lean — thin
  14. land — ground
  15. rash — a series
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. snap — to click
  21. rash — hasty
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. land — a country
  24. mouse — the animal

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