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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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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: safe · rest · mouse · jam · saw · wind · kick · roll

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. saw — the tool
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. rest — what's left
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rest — a break
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — with a leg

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