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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: rest · hand · safe · ruler · cell · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cell — a phone
  6. hand — help
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cell — in biology
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rest — a break
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. safe — a strongbox

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