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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · pit · wave · safe · bear · nail · snap · fall

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fall — the season
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. snap — to click
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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