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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
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: rush · snap · roll · spring · patient · club · safe · stick

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. roll — a cake
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. club — for dancing
  8. snap — to click
  9. roll — a list
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. club — for golf
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — a group
  24. rush — hurry

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