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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: safe · cue · hand · squash · rule · spring · file · net

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. squash — the sport
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. file — a tool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cue — a signal
  9. net — after costs
  10. hand — in cards
  11. spring — the season
  12. rule — a law
  13. spring — of water
  14. hand — help
  15. file — a line of people
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. net — for catching
  19. rule — government
  20. net — in sport
  21. cue — for pool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cue — a hint

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