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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rest — a break
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — a series
  10. shower — rain
  11. tear — to rip
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitch — completely
  16. shower — to wash
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rash — hasty
  20. staff — a stick
  21. tear — from crying
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rash — on the skin

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