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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cold — an illness
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — completely
  6. craft — a skill
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. key — in music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. current — electric
  11. cold — not warm
  12. snap — to click
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. key — the most important part
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. craft — boats
  24. rush — hurry

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