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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — a permit
  5. field — for sport
  6. hand — help
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. object — an aim
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. field — a subject
  20. wound — an injury
  21. field — farmland
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lie — an untruth

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