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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: object · safe · bat · bore · race · deal · mine · cue

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. race — a contest
  4. object — to protest
  5. mine — for digging
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. object — a thing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cue — a signal
  14. object — an aim
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. race — humankind
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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