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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: content · game · race · snap · squash · nail · foot · safe

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. content — happy
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. game — a match
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. foot — a measure
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. race — humankind
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. race — the arms race
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. game — wild animals
  18. race — a contest
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. content — the amount
  21. squash — the sport
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. squash — to crush
  24. snap — to click

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