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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: rest · safe · kid · leaves · snap · board · pitch · mark

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — a break
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to click
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. board — a committee
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. board — to get on
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pitch — completely
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rest — what's left
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mark — a trace

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