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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: snap · present · mine · safe · toast · rest · straw · court

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. court — of law
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. present — a gift
  6. court — for sport
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. toast — bread
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. snap — to click
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rest — a break
  21. court — of a king
  22. rest — what's left
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mine — for digging

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