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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 120 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
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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: last · suit · cue · snap · hand · safe · bat · prune

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bat — the animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. suit — clothes
  10. last — final
  11. snap — to click
  12. cue — a signal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. cue — for pool
  20. last — to go on
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. suit — to fit
  23. last — finally
  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