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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: mouse · safe · bank · bowl · rash · wind · snap · court

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rash — hasty
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. court — for sport
  8. wind — moving air
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rash — a series
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bank — for money
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. snap — to click
  24. mouse — for a computer

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