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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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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: swing · patient · foot · pit · safe · rush · snap · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rush — hurry
  3. foot — a measure
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. swing — music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. swing — in golf
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mark — a grade
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pit — in a race
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. snap — to click
  24. swing — to play on

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