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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: date · fine · snap · stick · safe · saw · wound · cue

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. saw — the tool
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. snap — to click
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. date — the fruit
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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