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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. tube — a container
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. tube — the underground
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. race — a contest
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bank — for money
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bank — for money
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bank — of a river
  23. race — humankind
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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