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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cell — a phone
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. object — a thing
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. snap — to click
  12. mate — a partner
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. present — there
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. shower — to wash
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. shower — rain
  22. present — a gift
  23. cell — in biology
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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