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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 120 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cold — an illness
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. kick — in football
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. last — final
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rush — hurry
  16. last — to go on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fine — high quality
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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