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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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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. foot — a measure
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — a contest
  5. tear — from crying
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. drill — army training
  8. firm — steady
  9. tear — to rip
  10. firm — decided
  11. vault — a safe
  12. drill — the tool
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. firm — a company
  15. spell — magic
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. drill — a practice
  24. safe — out of danger

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