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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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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: mug · ground · kid · saw · tear · mark · safe · pit

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mark — a grade
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a face
  14. tear — to rip
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ground — a position
  19. pit — in a race
  20. ground — crushed
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mug — a cup
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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