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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · nail · bear · mine · object · safe · mate · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bear — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mate — a partner
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. object — an aim
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. object — a thing
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mate — to breed

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