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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.

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: tear · tube · stand · rush · snap · rock · rash · safe

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rash — hasty
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stand — to bear
  8. tube — a container
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rash — a series
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rock — a stone
  23. tear — from crying
  24. snap — to click

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