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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. tube — the underground
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. tube — a container
  10. firm — steady
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fall — the season
  17. wound — an injury
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fine — all right

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