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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: safe · fan · mouse · deal · row · arm · rule · object

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. object — an aim
  4. rule — government
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. row — a line
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — to handle
  13. row — to paddle
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. object — a thing
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — to protest
  24. fan — a supporter

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