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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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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — for digging
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stand — to bear
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stand — for spectators

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