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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · fine · wave · jam · safe · rule · ground · straw

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rule — a law
  3. fine — all right
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ground — a position
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rule — government
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. hand — in cards
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. hand — help
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fine — high quality
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wave — with your hand

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