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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bound — obliged
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rest — a break
  8. bound — certain
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lie — to recline
  11. tube — a container
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fall — the season
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — clever
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rest — what's left
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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