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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: deal · bore · band · swing · tear · stand · snap · safe

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stand — to bear
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. band — a music group
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bore — to drill
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. swing — in golf
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tear — from crying
  18. band — a ring
  19. snap — to click
  20. swing — to play on
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. swing — music
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tear — to rip

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