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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: mouse · chair · ruler · tear · safe · saw

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tear — to rip
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. tear — from crying
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chair — a leader
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mouse — the animal

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