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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spring — of water
  3. rest — what's left
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mug — a cup
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mug — to rob
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mug — a face
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rest — a break
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. spring — the season
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cue — for pool
  24. safe — out of danger

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