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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: current · hand · pit · cue · snap · tear · safe · pass

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pass — a permit
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pit — in a race
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cue — a hint
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. current — of water
  13. snap — to click
  14. tear — from crying
  15. current — electric
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. current — happening now
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cue — a signal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cue — for pool

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