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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — the time now
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. board — to get on
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. shower — rain
  11. present — a gift
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. present — there
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mate — a partner
  17. sharp — clever
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mate — a friend
  20. board — a committee
  21. mate — to breed
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. shower — to wash

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