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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lean — thin
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hand — help
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — a gift
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. can — to be able to
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fall — the season
  17. present — there
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. present — the time now
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bat — the animal

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