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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.

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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: chest · suit · track · bat · rash · safe · rule · snap

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. chest — a box
  2. track — a path
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. track — to keep track
  5. suit — clothes
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rash — a series
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rule — government
  15. rash — hasty
  16. track — a song
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bat — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. suit — in cards
  22. rule — a law
  23. chest — of your body
  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