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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — to paddle
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fall — the season
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bat — the animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. drill — army training
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cue — a hint
  15. row — a line
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. safe — out of danger

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