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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 116 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: kick · fine · stock · rule · mine · nail · safe · tube

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rule — government
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fine — all right
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rule — a law
  10. fine — high quality
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stock — goods
  18. tube — a container
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kick — in football
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kick — with a leg

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