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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: safe · board · snap · file · spring · pitcher · can · swing

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. swing — in golf
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. snap — to click
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spring — a coil
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spring — the season
  17. board — to get on
  18. spring — of water
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — to be able to
  24. board — a committee

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