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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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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: kid · straw · safe · can · fan · rule

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. rule — government
  9. can — a tin
  10. rule — a law
  11. can — to be able to
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. can — a tin
  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