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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: saw · kid · mine · safe · cabinet · board · mate · ruler

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mate — a partner
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. board — to get on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. board — a committee
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. saw — the tool
  24. safe — out of danger

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