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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cell — a phone
  4. snap — to click
  5. cell — in biology
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stock — goods
  10. fork — in a road
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. field — a subject
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. field — farmland
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. field — for sport
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stock — shares
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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