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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wake — a trail
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. last — final
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kick — in football
  9. degree — temperature
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. last — to go on
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. last — finally
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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