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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: net · stick · firm · spring · mouse · band · snap · safe

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — in sport
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. net — for catching
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spring — of water
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. net — after costs
  17. firm — decided
  18. snap — to click
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. safe — out of danger

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