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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: fan · hand · nail · deal · mouse · root · safe · wind

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. root — the cause
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hand — help
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wind — moving air
  24. root — of a word

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