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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fall — the season
  13. last — finally
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — a division
  17. hand — help
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. last — to go on
  23. sharp — clever
  24. last — final

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