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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mine — for digging
  10. present — there
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — all right
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. shower — to wash
  19. present — a gift
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. present — the time now
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. shower — rain
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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