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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 124 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cell — in biology
  8. hand — help
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rule — government
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. hand — in cards
  15. object — to protest
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. sharp — clever

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