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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. hand — in cards
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — help
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bat — the animal
  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