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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. key — in music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  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