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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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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: mine · wind · safe · ruler · rash · saw · lie · chip

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rash — a series
  8. wind — moving air
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chip — to eat
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. chip — in a computer

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