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

Word bank: racket · safe · chip · mate · tear · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chip — for betting
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mate — to breed
  9. chip — to eat
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — a friend
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mate — a partner

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