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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — in music
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. deal — to handle
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rest — a break
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. season — in sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. land — ground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — a country
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. season — of the year
  24. land — to come down

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