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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. row — a line
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pit — a hole
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bound — certain
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. row — a quarrel

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