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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fall — to drop
  12. foot — a measure
  13. kid — to tease
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. kid — child
  16. fall — the season
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wind — moving air
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. rest — a break
  24. safe — out of danger

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