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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rock — music
  13. hand — help
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mark — a grade
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bound — obliged
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bound — certain
  24. kick — in football

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