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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. shower — rain
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fork — in a road
  13. shower — to wash
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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