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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. snap — to click
  6. court — for sport
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. court — of a king
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bore — to drill
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rest — a break
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. roll — a list
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — of law
  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