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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.

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: snap · bear · root · hand · content · safe · bass · stock

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. hand — help
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. snap — to click
  9. root — of a word
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bass — low music
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. root — the cause
  15. stock — shares
  16. content — happy
  17. bear — the animal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. content — the amount
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stock — goods
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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