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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. rock — a stone
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. object — an aim
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mate — a partner
  13. land — ground
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rock — music
  18. mate — to breed
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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