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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: snap · rash · safe · current · kick · firm · mine · lash

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. snap — to click
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — happening now
  5. firm — a company
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. firm — steady
  8. current — electric
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. current — of water
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rash — a series
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. firm — decided
  22. rash — hasty
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. kick — in football

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