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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: roll · bat · squash · safe · race · bulb · snap · rush

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. roll — a list
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. roll — a cake
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. squash — to crush
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bulb — for light
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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