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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.

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: snap · rash · object · safe · clip · nail · march · tube

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. clip — to cut
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. object — to protest
  7. rash — hasty
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. object — an aim
  10. clip — a video
  11. object — a thing
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. snap — to click
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. clip — for paper
  19. tube — a container
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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