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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 116 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. last — to go on
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fine — all right
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. tear — from crying
  14. last — finally
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. last — final
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ball — a round shape

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