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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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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: net · content · safe · patient · lash · snap · jam · track

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. content — the amount
  6. track — to keep track
  7. net — in sport
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. track — a path
  10. content — happy
  11. net — after costs
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. net — for catching
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. track — a song
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lash — an eyelash

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