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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — to rip
  6. land — to come down
  7. drill — the tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tear — from crying
  10. drill — army training
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. firm — steady
  17. wake — a trail
  18. drill — a practice
  19. land — ground
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. tear — from crying
  22. land — a country
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mouse — the animal

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