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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: snap · safe · patient · race · deal · tear · pit · wave

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. race — humankind
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pit — in a race
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tear — to rip
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. snap — to click
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — to handle
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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