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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rest — a break
  6. band — a music group
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rush — hurry
  9. snap — to click
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fine — all right
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mug — a face
  16. band — a ring
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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