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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 opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. can — a tin
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — to rip
  5. chip — to eat
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tear — from crying
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. can — to be able to
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — certain
  14. can — a tin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. tear — from crying
  24. safe — a strongbox

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