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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mine — for digging
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. kick — in football
  11. game — a match
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. safe — out of danger

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