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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — all right
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cold — not warm
  12. snap — to click
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rush — to hurry

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