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

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bound — certain
  4. mate — to breed
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — a partner
  8. court — of a king
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. court — for sport
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — of law
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bank — of a river
  21. race — the arms race
  22. snap — to click
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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