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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: game · safe · toast · can · file · board · cold · wound

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cold — not warm
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. file — a line of people
  8. toast — bread
  9. cold — an illness
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. file — a document
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. game — a match
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. can — a tin
  20. wound — an injury
  21. board — a committee
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. can — a tin

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