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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.

Make a worksheet

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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bound — tied together
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fine — all right
  14. bound — obliged
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bound — certain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fine — high quality

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