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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · saw · mouse · court · land · staff · wound · rest

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. wound — an injury
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rest — what's left
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. court — of law
  9. rest — a break
  10. staff — employees
  11. court — of a king
  12. staff — employees
  13. land — to come down
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. court — for sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — a country
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. land — ground
  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