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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: fork · racket · lash · snap · safe · coach · roll · swing

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. swing — music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. snap — to click
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. swing — in golf
  16. roll — a cake
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. roll — a list
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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