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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. sharp — clever
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. firm — steady
  10. squash — the sport
  11. tear — to rip
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. firm — a company
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. firm — decided
  24. squash — the vegetable

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