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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: snap · current · safe · lash · cold · spell · bear · mug

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — of water
  5. mug — a face
  6. spell — a short time
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spell — magic
  11. current — happening now
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. snap — to click
  15. mug — a cup
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. current — electric
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. spell — letters
  24. mug — to rob

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