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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: object · mine · cell · fan · nail · ruler · date · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. object — to protest
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — for digging
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cell — a phone
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. nail — on a finger

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