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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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Word bank
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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 · dip · wound · field · safe · leaves · can · last

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. last — final
  4. can — to be able to
  5. dip — to sink
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. snap — to click
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — finally
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. field — a subject
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. last — to go on
  24. safe — out of danger

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