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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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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: ruler · lash · safe · field · mate · deal · ground · mine

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. field — farmland
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mate — to breed
  16. ground — a position
  17. mine — for digging
  18. field — for sport
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ground — the earth
  22. field — a subject
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — a monarch

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