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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. row — a line
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pit — a hole
  6. kid — child
  7. band — a music group
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. land — to come down
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. row — to paddle
  14. land — ground
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. band — a ring
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. land — a country
  24. row — a quarrel

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