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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. last — final
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lean — thin
  11. last — to go on
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rule — government
  14. shower — rain
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. last — finally
  21. wax — to grow
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rule — a law
  24. chair — a professorship

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