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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · hide · suit · safe · file · spring · snap · content

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. suit — in cards
  3. file — a line of people
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. suit — to fit
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. spring — a coil
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — help
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spring — the season
  17. suit — clothes
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. snap — to click
  23. content — the amount
  24. safe — a strongbox

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