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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: bat · wave · squash · saw · safe · pass · snap · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. foot — a measure
  11. squash — the sport
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. saw — the tool
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. safe — out of danger

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