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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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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: toast · snap · nail · wake · ball · drill · safe · file

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ball — a dance
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ball — a great time
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. drill — a practice
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wake — a trail
  16. file — a tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. toast — bread
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. 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