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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. game — wild animals
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rock — music
  8. last — to go on
  9. hand — help
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fine — all right
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. suit — to fit
  17. game — a match
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rock — a stone
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wax — to grow

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