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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 124 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — a match
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lean — thin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. object — to protest
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wind — moving air
  13. object — an aim
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — a thing
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. nail — on a finger

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