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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: court · dip · saw · safe · rush · rest · wound · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. court — of law
  4. rest — a break
  5. court — of a king
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fine — all right
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wound — an injury
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — for sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rest — what's left
  22. dip — to sink
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rush — hurry

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