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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: season · swing · snap · safe · roll · tube · mug · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. swing — to play on
  4. season — in sport
  5. hand — help
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mug — to rob
  8. swing — music
  9. season — of the year
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mug — a cup
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. snap — to click
  15. hand — in cards
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mug — a face
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. swing — in golf
  23. tube — the underground
  24. roll — a list

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