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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: lean · band · track · kid · chip · mate · safe · rash

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mate — to breed
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chip — to eat
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a song
  8. kid — child
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rash — a series
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lean — thin
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chip — for betting
  16. band — a music group
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. band — a ring
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. track — a path
  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