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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.

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: snap · bear · face · game · date · leaves · pop · safe

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. game — a match
  4. face — to confront
  5. game — wild animals
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. snap — to click
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pop — to visit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. face — part of the head
  22. date — the fruit
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pop — soda

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