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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 120 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: safe · lie · snap · tube · dip · swing · mark · row

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lie — to recline
  3. row — to paddle
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. swing — music
  7. snap — to click
  8. mark — a grade
  9. row — a line
  10. swing — to play on
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. swing — in golf
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. mark — a trace
  24. safe — out of danger

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