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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. suit — to fit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. suit — clothes
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — in cards
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rest — what's left
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pitch — completely
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rest — a break
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. file — a tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. file — a document

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