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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · fine · game · bowl · wound · mine · hide · safe

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — all right
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bear — the animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hide — to keep secret

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