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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. game — a match
  3. rest — a break
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. firm — decided
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. rest — what's left
  17. game — wild animals
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rash — a series
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rash — hasty
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fork — to eat with

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