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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fine — all right
  9. shower — to wash
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fine — high quality
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. shower — rain
  18. foot — a measure
  19. squash — the sport
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. squash — to crush
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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