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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wax — to grow
  14. swing — music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. swing — to play on
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pit — in a race

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