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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — a subject
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cell — in biology
  8. track — a path
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. field — for sport
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. track — a song
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tear — to rip
  17. track — to keep track
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tear — from crying
  24. field — farmland

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