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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: game · pop · rash · rush · wound · kid · fan · safe

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kid — child
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — a match
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pop — to visit
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pop — music
  20. rash — a series
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pop — soda
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — hasty

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