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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — a gift
  6. lean — thin
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bound — obliged
  10. root — of a word
  11. hand — help
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — the cause
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bound — certain
  20. lean — to bend
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — what's left
  24. root — of a plant

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