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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. march — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. staff — employees
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. staff — employees
  14. swing — to play on
  15. march — the month
  16. staff — a stick
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lie — to recline
  20. march — the month
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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