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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — humankind
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. snap — to click
  12. race — a contest
  13. bass — the fish
  14. net — for catching
  15. key — the most important part
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bass — low music
  18. net — in sport
  19. key — in music
  20. net — after costs
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. race — the arms race

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