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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.

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: chest · safe · nail · saw · mouse · pitcher · game · rule

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chest — a box
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rule — government
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chest — of your body
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rule — a law
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — a match
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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