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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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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: safe · court · hand · deal · snap · staff

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. 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. hand — help
  2. staff — a stick
  3. deal — to handle
  4. hand — in cards
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. staff — employees
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — for sport
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. snap — to click
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. 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