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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: kid · pass · pitcher · nail · bound · safe · wind · fan

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pass — a permit
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. kid — to tease
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bound — certain
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. kid — child
  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