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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. file — a document
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. file — a line of people
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fine — all right
  21. date — the fruit
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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