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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. snap — to click
  4. march — the month
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spell — a short time
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. squash — the sport
  15. spell — magic
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. march — music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. spell — letters

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