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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. object — a thing
  3. bound — certain
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chair — a leader
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. last — finally
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. ruler — for measuring

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