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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: safe · saw · can · hide · fork · band · game · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. saw — the tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. can — a tin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. band — a ring
  8. game — a match
  9. mug — to rob
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mug — a face
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — in a road
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a music group

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