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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · march · snap · bowl · sharp · fan · wake · face

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — clever
  6. march — music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. march — the month
  15. snap — to click
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. march — the month
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wake — a trail
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bowl — a dish

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