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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: hide · sharp · bat · snap · wake · safe · cell · bay

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cell — in biology
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. snap — to click
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cell — a phone
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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