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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.

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 · rush · toast · wound · safe · kid · roll · hide

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — a list
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kid — to tease
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kid — child
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. wound — an injury
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. safe — a strongbox

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