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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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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: nail · spell · lean · plane · snap · safe · rash · jam

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. spell — a short time
  4. snap — to click
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. spell — magic
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lean — thin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rash — a series
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lean — to bend
  24. jam — a tight spot

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