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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — a company
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tear — to rip
  14. craft — a skill
  15. firm — steady
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. firm — decided
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. craft — boats
  24. band — a rubber band

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