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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: track · stand · hand · saw · land · squash · safe · kick

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — in cards
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. land — ground
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. land — a country
  18. stand — to bear
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. track — a song
  21. kick — in football
  22. hand — help
  23. land — to come down
  24. stand — on your feet

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