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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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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: wound · toast · safe · mine · rule · craft · shower · board

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. craft — boats
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. board — a committee
  14. wound — an injury
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. craft — a skill
  17. board — to get on
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. toast — bread
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mine — for digging

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