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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · rush · safe · track · patient · ball · file · snap

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. track — a path
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ball — a dance
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. snap — to click
  9. swing — in golf
  10. track — to keep track
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. track — a song
  13. file — a document
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ball — a great time
  16. file — a tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. swing — to play on
  19. file — a line of people
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. swing — music

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