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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: bass · safe · snap · scale · drill · ruler · rash · race

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rash — a series
  5. scale — size or range
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rash — hasty
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. drill — the tool
  11. race — humankind
  12. snap — to click
  13. scale — in music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. race — the arms race
  18. drill — army training
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bass — the fish
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. race — a contest
  24. ruler — for measuring

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