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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wind — moving air
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kid — child
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wind — moving air
  20. kid — to tease
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. object — a thing

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