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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 116 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: wake · kid · hide · mug · fine · rule · track · safe

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. track — a song
  6. mug — a face
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rule — a law
  9. wake — a trail
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. track — a path
  12. kid — to tease
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rule — government
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fine — high quality
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — a cup

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