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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. track — a path
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hand — help
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bound — certain
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. staff — employees
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. hand — in cards
  15. staff — employees
  16. chair — a leader
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. craft — boats
  20. staff — a stick
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bat — the animal
  24. track — a song

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