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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 116 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: saw · key · snap · fork · hide · tube · safe · rash

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. key — for a lock
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. tube — a container
  5. key — in music
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fork — in a road
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. snap — to click
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rash — a series
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rash — on the skin

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