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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: coach · ruler · last · safe · mine · snap · net · bear

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. net — in sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. last — final
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. last — to go on
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. snap — to click
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. last — finally
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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