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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. object — an aim
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cell — in biology
  10. shower — rain
  11. bulb — for light
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. hand — help
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cell — a phone
  18. hand — in cards
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. object — to protest
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. sharp — clever

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