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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: safe · bore · kick · saw · suit · court · mine · mate

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — in football
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. suit — to fit
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. suit — clothes
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. mine — for digging

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