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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rest — what's left
  4. race — humankind
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. race — a contest
  7. bore — to drill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bat — the animal
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rest — what's left
  14. land — a country
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bore — to tire
  18. land — to come down
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — ground
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rest — a break

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