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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cold — not warm
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — to rob
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rash — a series
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. row — a line
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mug — a face
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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