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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · hand · rush · leaves · tear · wake · snap · mine

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. hand — help
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — to rip
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wake — a trail
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. snap — to click
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rush — hurry
  20. tear — from crying
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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