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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 116 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rash — hasty
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rash — a series
  6. bound — certain
  7. charge — a price
  8. key — for a lock
  9. charge — in control
  10. key — in music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bound — tied together
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wind — moving air
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stock — shares
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. hand — help
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bound — obliged

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