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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: land · chip · racket · mug · saw · safe · kid · hide

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. land — to come down
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kid — to tease
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mug — to rob
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mug — a face
  9. land — ground
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chip — for betting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. kid — child
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. land — a country

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