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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 120 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: fine · safe · straw · rule · bear · game

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. game — wild animals
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rule — government
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. game — a match
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rule — a law
  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