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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. hand — help
  3. scale — in music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lean — thin
  14. fall — the season
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hand — in cards
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fall — to drop

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