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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 124 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mark — a trace
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — to fit
  11. kid — to tease
  12. squash — the sport
  13. suit — clothes
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. kid — child
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. squash — to crush
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mark — a grade

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