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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: toast · safe · mine · roll · pitcher · mate · sharp · nail

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mate — a partner
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mate — to breed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. roll — a list
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. toast — the most admired

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