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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lean — thin
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lean — to bend
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. spring — a coil
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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