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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 120 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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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: mate · safe · mine · kid · fine · mug · tear · pit

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fine — all right
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. mate — a friend
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — high quality
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mug — a face
  18. mate — to breed
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. tear — to rip
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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