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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. can — a tin
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. squash — to crush
  10. tear — from crying
  11. land — to come down
  12. tear — to rip
  13. land — a country
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. kid — to tease
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. land — ground

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