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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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 kind of play
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. game — wild animals
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. game — a match
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. current — of water
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — the tool

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