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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · hide · saw · roll · tear · board · snap · sharp

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — from crying
  5. snap — to click
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. board — a committee
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — clever
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. tear — from crying
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. roll — a cake
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — to get on
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. roll — a list
  24. saw — the tool

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