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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. wake — a trail
  3. saw — the tool
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cold — an illness
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pass — a permit
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cold — not warm
  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