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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: stick · hand · safe · pop · saw · bore · cold · ruler

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — help
  6. cold — not warm
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bore — to drill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pop — soda
  21. cold — an illness
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — music

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