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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fall — to drop
  4. track — a path
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pop — to visit
  7. band — a ring
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fall — to drop
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pop — soda
  17. track — a song
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mate — a friend
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. band — a music group
  23. fall — the season
  24. pop — music

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