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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 120 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: foot · board · safe · mouse · hand · saw · stick · capital

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — money
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. saw — the tool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. capital — a city
  20. board — to get on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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