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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: board · cold · safe · pass · pound · saw · ruler · spell

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. saw — the tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cold — not warm
  18. pass — a permit
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — letters
  21. pound — a weight
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ruler — for measuring

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