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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
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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: chair · snap · dip · rash · pitch · safe · tube · lean

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lean — thin
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. tube — a container
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. snap — to click
  20. tube — the underground
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rash — a series
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rash — on the skin

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