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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: roll · hand · mine · cold · cabinet · can · ruler · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. cold — not warm
  3. roll — a list
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. can — a tin
  6. hand — help
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. can — a tin
  16. roll — a cake
  17. cold — an illness
  18. hand — in cards
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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