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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 120 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: ball · board · kid · safe · saw · chair · lash · tear

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. tear — to rip
  8. kid — child
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ball — a great time
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. board — a committee
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tear — from crying
  21. board — to get on
  22. saw — the tool
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. chair — a professorship

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