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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: saw · squash · chair · bound · ball · stick · safe · kid

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bound — certain
  13. chair — a leader
  14. kid — to tease
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bound — tied together
  17. kid — child
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bound — obliged
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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