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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lean — to bend
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. last — final
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wind — moving air
  8. staff — employees
  9. present — there
  10. charge — electricity
  11. present — the time now
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — a price
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wind — moving air
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. charge — in control
  20. staff — a stick
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. present — a gift
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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