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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · pop · hand · club · safe · pit · leaves · cold

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pop — soda
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pit — a hole
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — not warm
  11. club — for dancing
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. hand — help
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. hand — in cards
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pop — music
  23. cold — an illness
  24. pop — to visit

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