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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 120 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: mine · lean · safe · last · stick · snap · season · staff

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. snap — to click
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. last — finally
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. staff — employees
  10. season — in sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. season — of the year
  17. staff — employees
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. last — final
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. last — to go on

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