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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. net — after costs
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. content — happy
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. net — for catching
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. net — in sport
  13. content — the amount
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. kid — child
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. snap — to click
  22. rush — hurry
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ruler — a monarch

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