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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mate — a friend
  6. scale — in music
  7. mate — a partner
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. scale — size or range
  11. swing — in golf
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mate — to breed
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. tear — from crying
  23. swing — music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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