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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 120 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: rock · coach · safe · band · kid · bore · snap · rush

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rock — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. band — a music group
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. band — a ring
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rush — hurry
  23. snap — to click
  24. band — a rubber band

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