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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.

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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: deal · safe · kid · mouse · bat · ruler · wound · mine

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kid — to tease
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. kid — child
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wound — an injury
  24. safe — out of danger

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