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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. firm — steady
  3. row — to paddle
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. firm — decided
  8. row — a line
  9. rest — a break
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. capital — a city
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rest — what's left
  22. capital — money
  23. firm — a company
  24. capital — a big letter

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