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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cell — a phone
  8. can — a tin
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cell — in biology
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — to recline
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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