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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: dip · mine · kid · safe · key · deal · bore · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kid — child
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. deal — to handle
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mine — for digging
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. kid — to tease
  22. key — in music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. ground — a position

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