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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: snap · race · cue · bat · patient · safe · wave · toast

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cue — a signal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cue — a hint
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. toast — bread
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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