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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.

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: fine · cap · saw · spring · wake · rash · safe · snap

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cap — of ice
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cap — a hat
  9. snap — to click
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. spring — the season
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rash — a series
  19. cap — a lid
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fine — all right
  22. rash — hasty
  23. spring — of water
  24. saw — the tool

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