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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · stem · foot · safe · fan · snap · net · land

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. land — a country
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — for catching
  8. wake — a trail
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — a measure
  12. net — in sport
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. net — after costs
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. land — ground
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. land — to come down
  21. stem — to come from
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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