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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · suit · snap · spring · chip · safe · stick · squash

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chip — for betting
  3. snap — to click
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spring — the season
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — to crush
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. squash — the sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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