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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: saw · hand · safe · chip · scale · wound · row · object

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. object — to protest
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. row — a line
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. object — a thing
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chip — to eat
  12. scale — in music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. object — an aim
  16. scale — size or range
  17. row — to paddle
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hand — help
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. hand — in cards

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