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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fine — high quality
  5. staff — employees
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a path
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fine — all right
  11. rest — what's left
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — a song
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. staff — a stick
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rest — a break
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. track — to keep track
  23. staff — employees
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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