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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rule — a law
  3. game — wild animals
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rule — government

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