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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. object — an aim
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. roll — a cake
  10. chest — a box
  11. object — a thing
  12. rash — hasty
  13. object — to protest
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rash — a series
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. field — for sport
  24. saw — the tool

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