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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: deal · game · ruler · ball · safe · lash · chest · hand

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — a match
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. deal — to handle
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — help
  18. game — wild animals
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. chest — of your body

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