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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. plane — a tool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. content — the amount
  5. tear — to rip
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. tear — from crying
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chip — to eat
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chip — for betting
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tear — from crying
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. content — happy
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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