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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. object — an aim
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. object — a thing
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rash — hasty
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stem — to come from
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. object — to protest
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. swing — to play on
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. swing — in golf
  20. chip — for betting
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. swing — music
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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