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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: lean · snap · safe · spring · bound · pitcher · field · rush

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. field — farmland
  4. bound — certain
  5. spring — of water
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. field — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — the season
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lean — thin
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. snap — to click
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spring — a coil

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